Enjoying God!!

"Put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.... Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.  Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.  Grace be with you all."

I Timothy 17b, 20-21

Who doesn't enjoy a fun evening out with friends?  Who doesn't enjoy a good book, a glass of wine, a cup of coffee; who doesn't enjoy a lovely sunset? But is this the kind of 'enjoyment' Paul is talking about in these verses?  "put your hope in God who richly provides us with everything for your enjoyment."  Enjoyment is godly?  God is endorsing, encouraging enjoyment?  Somehow that seems.....not very spiritual, doesn't it?

  In 1646, after 5 years of debate, the Church of Scotland ratified the Westminster Confession of Faith.  One of the well-known lines of this confession is  the following:

Question: What is the chief end of man?
Answer:  The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

So, my friends, let us rejoice that God provides us with everything for our enjoyment!  And let us focus on godly enjoyment, enjoyment that builds up the body of Christ and strengthens us to do the good work he has provided for us.  What a privilege to recognize that all good gifts come from him, and that he has entrusted them to our care.

Today, take a minute to enjoy the good gifts God has given you.  What will it be like to enjoy God forever?  Reflect on  John Newton's beloved hymn, Amazing Grace, and let these words soak into your soul:

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's grace
Than when we'd first begun.

Lord, you richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment.  Help me to give you all the glory and all the praise as I enjoy these good gifts.  Amen.